The present invention relates to dental articles for use in orthodontic treatments to correct malocclusions. In particular, the present invention relates to ceramic orthodontic brackets having brazed archwire slot liners for receiving archwires.
Orthodontic treatment is directed to the movement of teeth to improved positions for enhancing a patient's facial appearance, especially in areas near the front of the patient's mouth. Orthodontic treatment may also improve the patient's occlusion so that the teeth function better with each other during mastication.
One type of orthodontic treatment system includes a set of brackets, which are fixed to the patient's anterior, cuspid, and bicuspid teeth. Each of the brackets has an archwire slot to receive a resilient archwire. The archwire functions as a track to guide movement of the brackets, and hence movement of the associated teeth, to desired positions. Ends of the archwire are typically received in passages of small appliances known as buccal tubes that are fixed to the patient's molar teeth.
Orthodontic brackets are available in a variety of materials, such as metallic materials, plastic materials, and ceramic materials. Ceramic materials are particularly popular because they may provide brackets that are transparent or translucent. The transparent or translucent appearance reduces the visibility of the brackets, thereby preserving aesthetic qualities. Archwire slot liners are typically used with ceramic-material brackets because the metal-to-metal contact between the archwires and the liners provide better sliding mechanics compared to the metal-to-ceramic material contact between the archwires and the brackets. However, archwire slot liners require secure bonds to the brackets during use to prevent the archwire slot liners from separating from the brackets. As such, there is a need for bonding systems that provide strong bonds between archwire slot liners and orthodontic brackets.